The new American administration’s direction is to replicate in Afghanistan what they take as having been successful in Iraq, a surge of troops and supporting tribal militias, even though Tribal rivalries are emerging in Iraq and Secretary Gatesand General Petraeus want longer pullout period from Iraq than President Obama because continuing stability is not assured.

Lessons from Iraq together with Resistance to U.S. Plan for Afghanistan: Troop Boost Complicated by Growing Taliban Influence, Anger Over Airstrikes and Civilian Deaths present the aims and difficulties in implementation.

The article Obama must redefine success in Afghanistan states:

“Since 2005, a revived Taliban insurgency has made growing inroads against understaffed U.S., NATO and Afghan forces, while President Hamid Karzai’s ineffective government has been mired in corruption and a booming illegal drugs trade.

The most Obama can hope to achieve in a mountainous country that wore down British and Soviet invaders is probably an ethnic power-sharing pact, including tribes that now help the Taliban, in hopes of keeping al Qaeda at bay once Western forces leave.”

Complications exist between with local players as President Karzai is having Afghanistan seeks control over NATO deployments
while at the same time Obama ready to cut Karzai adrift and after Pakistan’s having warned over missile strikes a Suspected US drone attacks strike tribal areas .

Canadian Forces in Afghanistan and the Government of Canada are passengers waiting for the driver to decide the direction that will be taken. In a three part video “The good war” “The good war” Pt.2 “The good war” Pt.3 a journalist just returned from Afghanistan mentions how our role is seen by the Afghans in her broad ranging responses to questions.

Three reviews are in process. At some point the decision must be made between the end goal being democratizing Afghanistan society or developing conditions such that Al Quaeda is not able to have Afghanistan as a base of operations and meaningful developmental assistance can be provided.

Joe Hueglin
905-356-3901

Searching for an Afghan Strategy
Disputes cloud Afghan ‘public guards’ plan

Obama May Face ‘Rebuff’ from Europe on Military Step-Up in Afghanistan
In Afghan South, Taliban Fill NATO’s Big Gaps

Will US Troops Intensify Taliban Ire?

‘Afghan Insurgent Tactics Shift To Dodge Airstrikes’,

US accused of killing 25 Afghan civilians in raid on militants

Isn’t it odd how history repeats itself and the “fools on the hill” never really change? Just change a few names around and substitute heroin for opium and you have Vietnam and the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia revisited. Just keep lining those pockets with money and greasing those palms.

If I may steal a chorus from Bachman Turner Overdrive:

“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet
B-B-B-Baby, you just ain’t seen nothin’ yet
Here’s something that you never gonna forget
B-B-B-Baby, you just ain’t seen nothin’ yet”

Tony,

Peace,

People may forget what you said,

People may forget what you did,

But people will always remember how you
made them feel.